1. Field
This disclosure is concerned generally with the field of monoclonal antibodies and specifically with the creation and use of an immortal cell line for the continuous production of antibodies found to be specific to serotypic determinants found on the flagella of microorganisms such as bacteria.
2. Prior Art
Since the early article by Kohler and Milstein, "Continuous Cultures of Fused Cells Secreting Antibody of Predefined Specificity", Nature 256:495-497 (1975), the production of monoclonal antibodies has become well known using both somatic cell hybrids (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,124 to H. Koprowski et al) or transformed cells (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,465 to M. Lostrom). In addition, there have been numerous patent disclosures concerned with the production of a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies and their uses, especially in diagnostic tests such as immunoassays (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,917 to Zurawski and U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,549 to Kung et al), purification (see, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,509 to Zimmerman et al) and potential therapy (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,124 to Koprowski et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,145 to Wands et al). For examples of early work on human monoclonal antibodies see, for example, International Patent Application No. PCT/US 81/00957, International Publication No. WO 82/01461, of Kaplan et al.
Although the technical and patent literature is now replete with many techniques involving the manufacture, modification or use of monoclonal antibodies of many different specificities, including bacterial pili which act as adhesions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,549) and the flagella of sea urchin spermatozoa (see D. J. Asai et al, Cell Motility 2 Suppl. 1, 175-180, 1982), we are unaware of disclosures directed to the manufacture and use of protective monoclonal antibodies to serotypic determinants found on the flagella of motile microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, protozoans and the like. Quite surprisingly, we have now found that such monoclonal antibodies can be produced and characterized. More importantly, we have found that such monoclonal antibodies can be used for in vivo inhibition of motility of pathogenic microorganisms thus demonstrating a protective effect. Details of our findings are described herein.